Valve device.



J. H. KINEALY.

VALVE DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2. 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 afieai? gm THE NORRIS PETERS Co PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGroN. n c

J. H. KINEALY.

VALVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2, 1914.

1,127,018. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 THE NORRIS PETERS c0 PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHING rcrNv D Cvdischarging air and water of condensation UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTG.

JOHN H. KINEALY, OF FERGUSON, MISSOURI.

VALVE DEVICE.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application tiled October 2, 1914. Serial No. 864,636.

1,127 ,018, Specification of Letters Patent.

D is a partition placed inside of the casmg and extending from thebottom part thereof upwardly to near the top. The partition D isattached by means of soldering or otherwise to the base which in thedevice of Fig. l is D and has an exteriorly threaded portion adapted toengage with the threads D formed in the lower part of the casing A, andinthe device shown in Fig. 6 the base is al and is provided withinterior threads which engage with the threads d formed on an upwardlyprojecting part of the casing A. The partition 1) divides the lower partof the interior ofthe To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. KINEALY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ferguson, in the county of St. Louis and the State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valve Devices,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partthereof.

My invention relates to valve devices for from radiators or heaters ofheating systems, and relates more particularly to that type of suchdevices in which the flow of air and water through the device iscontrolled by the temperature existing in the device in such a way thatas long as the temperature in the device is less than a certainpredetermined amount, air or water or both may flow through the device,but when the temperature in the device has been raised to a certainpredetermined point then the flow of air or water or both through thedevice will be substantially stopped and the only flow through thedevice will be that due to leakage.

The object of my invention is to provide a thermostatic trap or valvedevice for the discharge of air and water of condensation from radiatorsor heaters of heating systems that will not be likely to get out oforder; that will be simple in its construction and mode of operation;and that will not depend for its operation upon the expansion of a solidor of any form of bellows inclosing a volatile liquid.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings where similarletters are used to designate similar parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one embodiment of my invention; Fig.2. is a sectional view of Fig. 1 along the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is asectional view of Fig. 1 along the line 3-3; Fig. l is a top view of apart of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a secondembodiment of my invention having a part of the cover or top removed;and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the form of device shown inFig. 5.

Referring to the figures, A is a casing having an inlet B and an outletC. The device is attached to the radiator or heater by means of theinlet B and is attached to a suitable discharge pipe by means of theoutlet C.

the purpose of identification may be called the primary well and thesecondary well, respectively.

G- is an inlet passage connecting the inlet B with the primary well E.

In the device shown in Fig. 1 the top of the primary well E lies somedistance above the top of the inlet B so that water or air entering theinlet well must pass upwardly from the inlet through the inlet while inthe form of device shown 1n Fig. 6 the upper part of the primary well Elies below the upper part of the inlet B so that water or air may flowdirectly from the inlet into the primary well E without being lifted.The secondary well F is connected to the outlet C by means of an outletpassage, which in the device shown in Fig. 1 is made up of the verticalpassage through the hollow tube H in the top of the casing of thedevice, and the passage 1-1,, leading from the passage H to the outletC. In the form of the device shown in Fig. 6, the outlet passageconnecting the secondary well F to the outlet C is formed of the passage7L through the upper part of the base piece 61 the passage or space kinside of the base piece al an the passage k connecting the space h withthe outlet C.

I is a valve piece adapted to control the outlet passage and attached toa stem J. In the form of the device shown in Fig. 1, the stem J is atube which encircles the tube H and which has at its lower endimmediately above the valve piece I a plurality of openings J throughwhich water and air may pass from the well F into the space between thelower end of the tube H and the valve piece In the form of the deviceshown in Fig. 6, the stem J is a rod which casing A into two wells E andF, which for v passage G;

the passage H formed the yoke K which in turn is attached to theinverted ring shaped bucket P. In Fig. 1 the stem J is shown as solderedto the yoke K, while in Fig. 6 the stem J is shown attached to the yokeK by means oflock-nuts K, and K,. The yoke K may be soldered orotherwise suitably fastened to the bucket P.

vL is a threaded cap which engages with threads out in the upper part ofthe casing A and serves to prevent the passage of air and water from theinterior of the casing in any way except through the discharge passage.This cap L is provided with a raised part L by which it maybe grasped bya wrench or other suitable instrument and screwed into place. In theform of device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the cap is Z, and it is providedwith a raised part Z, adapted to be grasped by a wrench or othersuitable instrument and screwed into place.

In theform of the device shown in Fig. l, M. is a cover plate whichrests on the, upper part of the casing A outside of the cap L in such away as to form a space between the outside of'the cap L and the-insideof the cover plate M. This cover plate M is held in position by means ofthe nut N which engages with the upwardly projecting nipple N formed onthe upper part of the cap L. The portion L of the cap L is provided withtransversely arranged grooves L which connect with the interior of thetube I-I so that water or ,air which passes upward through the tube Hmay pass through the grooves L into the space between the cap L and thecover M. It is understood that the grooves L and the spacebetween thecap L and the cover plate M constitute the part H of the dischargepassage. The part N, of the cap L is preferably provided with a verticalopening N so that when desired the nut N may be removed and access maybe had to the interior of the tube H through the passage N The invertedbucket P sets in the primary well E and is therefore shaped to conformto the shape of this well, and in the form of the device shown in thedrawings this primary well E is of a circular shape with the secondarywell F also of a circular shape formed inside thereof, so that a topview of the bucket P is ring shaped as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Thevertical walls ofthis bucket are preferably parallel as shown in thedrawings, although this is not necessary.

Q represents volume tubes of an inverted siphon or U-shape, wherebycommunication is made between the interior and exterior of the bucket P.When water flows into the primary well E. in the device shown in Fig.

1, the water will rise inside of the well and also inside of the bucketP, and as the water rises inside ofthe-bucket Pthe air will pass outfrom the bucket through the U-tubes Q until the water has reached theupper open ends of the short legs of the tubes Q, and then the waterwill pass down into the short 'legs and accumulate in the bends attthelower part of the tubes and thus by preventing the escape of air fromthe bucket will prevent the water from rising inside of the bucket Pmuch if any beyond the top of the open short legs of the U-tubes Q, evenalthough the primary well E or the whole device should become completelyfilled with water. In the form of the device shown in Fig. 6, when.water enters the primary well E it will accumulate therein and thewater will rise inside and outside of the bucket P, the air escapingfrom the bucket through the tubes Q as the water rises, until the waterhas risen outside of the bucket to the open upper ends of the short legsof the tubes Q, and then the water will enter the tubes Q and accumulatein the lower ends thereof and seal them so as to prevent the escape ofair from inside of the bucket and thus prevent the water fromaccumulating inside of the bucket to a point materially above the bottomof the opening of the short legs of the tubes Q, even although theprimary well E or the whole device should become filled with water. TheU-shaped volume tubes Q must be so adjusted that the amount of airconfined or trapped in the upper part of the bucket 'P- I by theaccumulation of water in the pri- 100 mary well E shall be insufficientto make the bucket float, even when the bucket'is entirely submerged bythe accumulation of water in the primary well, unless the air in theupper part of the bucket shall be heated to a certain predeterm nedtemperature after it has been confined or trapped in the bucket. That isto say, the air trapped in the upper part of the bucket P must be insuflicient, to make the bucket float even when 11 submerged so long asthat air is'cool, but when the air after it has been trapped is heatedto a predetermined temperature and thus made to expand it will increasethe buoyancy of the bucket so that the bucket 115 will tend to float andwill move upwardly inthe primary well E. When the air in the bucket Pexpands, the bends in the inverted siphons or U-tubes Q prevent thesetubes from becoming unsealed and thus prevent 120 the air from'beingforced out of the bucket as it is heated. The formof device shownin'Figsl to 4 inclusive is provided with a by-p'ass passage G, whichcommunicates with the lower end. of the discharge passage through theopening G which is controlled by means of the valve G Sediment willaccumulatein the passage G and when desired it may be blown out byopening the valve G v The Operation of the device is as follows: Thedevice is attached to a radiator or heater and to a suitable dischargepipe so that when steam is turned on to the radiator the air will passfrom the radiator through the inlet B and the inlet passage G into thespace above the secondary well F, and thence through the secondary wellF and the discharge passage into the outlet C, and from there into thedischarge pipe and away. As the radiator gets warm because of theadmission of steam thereto, water will be condensed and this water willpass through the inlet 13 and the inlet passage G into the primary wellE where it will accumulate. In the form of the device shown in Figs.1,2,3 and hthe pressure at the outlet C must be less than the pressureat the inlet 13, in order that water may be forced upward through theinlet passage G into the primary well E, but no such differentialpressure is necessary with the form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and6. After the water has accumulated .in the primary well E to the top ofthe partition D the water will overflow into the secondary well F. Fromthe secondary well the water will pass through the dischargepassage tothe outlet C and thence into the discharge pipe. hen water first beginsto accumulate in the device it will be comparatively cool, but as theradiator gets hot and as all the air becomes discharged therefrom steamwill pass from the radiator into the device and the water which passesfrom the radiator will be hot, so that because of the steam and the hotwater the device will be heated. As the temperature inside the deviceincreases the air confined or trapped in the bucket P is heated and ismade to expand, and when this air has been heated to a certainpredetermined temperature it will. have been made to expand a sufficientamount to cause the bucket to tend to float and to rise in the primarywell E. WVhen the bucket rises it will lift the yoke K and with it thestem J and the valve piece I, and thus close the discharge passage andprevent the discharge of steam or water through the device. After thedischarge passage has been closed water will continue to accumulate inthe device until the air inside of the bucket P has become cooled sothat its buoyancy is no longer sufficient to make the bucket float, andthen the bucket will fall and the valve piece I will be moved downwardso as to open the discharge passage and allow water to be dischargedfrom the device. As soon as hot water or steam in sufficient quantitiesbegins to come to the device the air in the bucket will again be heatedand be made to expand, and the bucket will be made to rise so as to liftthe valve piece I and close the discharge passage and thus prevent thedischarge of steam through the device. In this way the expansion andcontraction of the air in the bucket will be made to operate the bucketso as to move the valve piece I to control the discharge passage.

.It is evident that the height of the top of the partition D must besuch that the water will rise to a level in the primary well, beforepassing into the secondary well, such that the bucket P may float whenthe air in the bucket is heated sufficiently.

The casing may be of any shape and the inlet may be placed with respectto the outlet so as to require a differential pressure to make the waterfrom the radiator pass through the device as in the device shown inFigs. 1, i 3 and a, or the device may be made so that the outlet is at alower level than the inlet and water will flow therethrough by gravityas in the device shown in Figs. and 6; and it is also evident that thedevice may be made of any size desired.

The device has no parts that are likely to break or get out of order,and there is no solid body upon whose expansion the operation of thedevice depends, nor is there any bellows inclosing a volatile fluidwhich. is likely to leak and thus become inoperative.

In the drawings a pluralitv of inverted siphons or U-shaped tubes Q areshown, although this is not necessary. It is preferable, however, tohave a plurality of such tubes in order to insure that there will alwaysbe a passage for the air from the interior to the exterior of the bucketwhen water is accumulating in the primary well in order to fill. it, andthus insure that the volume of air confined or trapped in the upper partof the bucket will always be the same. The form of U-tube shown in Fig.1 in which the long leg projects upwardly through the top of the bucketis preferable to the form shown in Fig. 6 since the former is not solikely to become stopped, and since it also tends to equalize thepressure of the air inside and outsideof the bucket better than does theform shown in Fig. 6.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A valve device for discharging air and water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an operative member in said primary well, said primarywell and said operative member being so constructed and arranged withrespect to one another that when said operative member is submerged inwater it will not float until the temperature in said valve device hasbeen raised to a certain predetermined point, an overflow for conductingwater from said primary well into said secondary well from a point insaid primary well not below where the level of the water must be-in saidprimary well in order that said operative member may float when thetemperature in said valve device has been raised to said predeterminedpoint, an'inlet passage con until the temperature in said valve device vI has been raised to a certain predetermined point, an overflow forconducting water from said primary well into said secondary well from apoint in said primary well not below where the level of the water mustbe in said primary well in order that said 0perative member may floatwhen the water is heated to said predetermined temperature, an inletpassage connecting said inlet to said primary well, a discharge passageconnecting said secondary well to said outlet, a valve piece controllingsaid discharge passage, and means whereby motion is transmitted fromsaid operative member tosaid valve piece.

3. A valve device for discharging air and Water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, operative means in said primary well so constructed andarranged that when submerged in water it will not float until said waterbe heated to a certain predetermined temperature, an overflow forconducting water from said primary well into said. secondary well from apoint in said primary well not below where the level of the water mustbe in said primary well in order that said operative member may floatwhen the water is heated to said predetermined temperature, an inletpassage connecting said inlet to said primary well and discharging intosaid primary Well above said operative means, a discharge passageconnecting said secondary well to said outlet, a valve piece controllingsaid discharge passage, and means whereby motion is transmitted fromsaid. operative member .to said valve piece. I

4. A valve device for discharging air and water fromradiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an inverted bucket in said primary well so constructedand. arranged that when submerged in water it will not float until thetemperature in said valve device has been raised to a certainpredetermined point, an overflow for con ducting water from said primarywell into said secondary well from a point in said I valve device hasbeen predetermined point, an overflow for con ducting water from saidprimary well into when submerged,

primary well not below where the level of the water must be' in saidprimary well in order that said bucket may float whenthe temperature insaid valve device has been raised to said predetermined point, an inletpassage connecting said inlet to said primary well, a discharge passageconnecting said secondary well to said outlet, a valve piece controllingsaid discharge passage, and means whereby motion is transmitted fromsaid bucket to said valve piece. I p

5. A "alve device for discharging air and water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an inverted bucket in said primary Well so constructedand arranged that when submerged in water it will not float until thetemperature in said raised to a certain said secondary well from a pointin said primary well not below where the level of the water must be insaid primary well in order that said bucket may float when thetemperature in said valve device has been raised to said predeterminedpoint, an inlet passage connecting said inlet to said'primary well anddischarging into said primary well above said bucket, a dischargepassage connecting said secondary well to said outlet, a valve piececontrolling said discharge passage, and means whereby motion istransmitted from said bucket to said valve piece.

6. A valve device for discharging air and water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an inverted bucket in said primary well provided withmeans whereby a predetermined amount of air is trapped in said bucketwhen submerged, an overflow for conducting water from said primary wellinto said secondary well from a point in said primary well not belowwhere the level of the water must be in said primary well in order thatsaid bucket may float when the temperature in said valve device has beenraised to a certain predetermined point, an inlet passage connectingsaid inlet to said primary well, a discharge passage connecting saidsecondary well to said outlet, a valve piece controlling said dischargepassage, and means whereby motion is transmitted from said bucket tosaid valve piece.

7. A valve device for discharging air and water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an inverted bucket in said primary well provided withmeans whereby a predetermined amount of air is trapped in the upper partof said bucket an overflow for conducting water from said primary wellinto said secondary well from a point in said primary well not belowwhere the level of the water must be in said primary well in order thatsaid bucket may float when the temperature in said valve device has beenraised to a certain predetermined point, an inlet passage connectingsaid inlet to said primary well and discharging therein at a point abovethe level where the water must be in order that said bucket may floatwhen the temperature in said valve device has been heated to saidpredetermined point, a discharge passage connecting said secondary wellto said outlet, a valve piece controlling said discharge passage, andmeans whereby motion is transmitted from said bucket to said valvepiece.

8. A valve device for discharging air and water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an inverted bucket in said primary well, a U-shaped tubeconnecting the space inside of said bucket with the space outsidethereof, an overflow for conducting water from said primary well intosaid secondary well from a point in said primary well not below wherethe level of the water must be in said primary well in order that saidbucket may float when the temperature in said valve device has beenraised to a certain predetermined point, an inlet passage connectingsaid inlet to said primary well, a discharge passage connecting saidsecondary well to said outlet, a valve piece controlling said dischargepassage, and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for means whereby motion istransmitted from said bucket to said valve piece.

9. A valve device for discharging air and water from radiators,comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a primary well, asecondary well, an inverted bucket in said primary well, a U-tubeconnecting the space inside of said bucket with the space outsidethereof and having one leg projecting upwardly through the top of saidbucket, an overflow for conducting water from said primary well intosaid secondary well from a point in said primary well not below wherethe level of the water must be in said primary well in order that saidbucket may float when the temperature in said valve device has beenraised to a certain predetermined point, an inlet passage connectingsaid inlet to said primary well and discharging therein at a point abovethe level where the water must be in order that said bucketmay floatwhen the temperature in said valve device has been heated to saidpredetermined point, a discharge passage connecting said secondary wellto said outlet, a valve piece controlling said discharge passage, andmeans whereby motion is transmitted from said bucket to said valvepiece.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. KINEALY. Witnesses:

ALTA Z. WELMERING, THERESA SUEME.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. 0.

